XO XORTTI AMERIUAN BIRDS. 



Habttr. Tliis s]K'('i('s is one of tlio common liirds of New England, and is 

 |ir()l)al)ly aljundaiit in reitain localities throughout all tlie country east of the 

 liocky Mountains, as far to tlie north as the oOtli i)arallol, and possibly 

 as far as the wooded country extends. JNIr. Maynard did not meet witli 

 it in Xortliern Xew Jlam])shire. Mr. Wm. G. Winton obtained its nest 

 and eggs at lialifa.x, N. S. ; Mr. Boardman found them also on the (Julf 

 of St. Lawrence, and at St. Stejilien's, N. 15. ; Mr. Couper at (^^uebcc ; Mr. 

 Kriegliolf at Three Itivers, Canada; Donald (!unu <it Selkiriv and lied 

 liiver ; and ^Ir. Kundien and Dr. Hoy in Wisconsin. Mr. Mcllwraith 

 also gives it as common at Hamilton, West Canada. It breeds as far south 

 as rennsylviinia, and as far to the west as Utah, and occurs, in tlie breeding 

 season, throughout Maine, Xew IJrunswick, Nova Scotia, and Canada. 



Mr. liidgway found this tlirusli very abundant among tlie thicActs in the 

 valleys of the Provo, Weber, and Bear rivei-s, in Utah, and very character- 

 istic of th'\30 portions of the country. 



It arrives in Massachusetts early in ^May, usually with tlie first bhi.ssoms 

 of the pear, ranging from the Htli to the 2()th. It is strictly of woodbind 

 habits, found almost entirely among cluini)s of trees, and obtaining its food 

 from among their branclu!s, or on the ground among the fallen leaves. It 

 moves south from the lOtii to the 2r)th of September, rarely remaining till 

 the first week in October. 



It is timid, distrustful, and retiring ; delighting in shady ravines, the edges 

 of thick close woods, and occasionally the more retired parts of gardens; 

 M'hcre, if unmolested, it will i'rc(|ucnt the same locality year after year. 



The .song of this tliriish is i|Uiiiiit, but not unmusical ; variable in its 

 character, changing from a jirolouged and monotonous wiiistle to (piick 

 and almost slirill notes at the chise. Their nadody is not uufreiiuently 

 prolonged until (piite late in the evening, and, in consei|iience, in some 

 portions of Mas.sacliu.setts these birds are distinguished with the name of 

 Xightingale, — a distinction due rather to the .season than to the high ipiality 

 of their song. Yet Mr. Ii'iilgwuy regards it, as heard by himself in I'tali, 

 as superior in some res|)ects to that of all others of the genus, though far 

 surpassed in mellow richness of voice and dejith of metallic tone by that of 

 the Wood Thi'iish (7'. iiiiisfch'nus). To his mir there was a sohMun harmony 

 and a beiiiitifid expression which combined to make the .song of tiiis siirjiass 

 tliat of all the other American Wood Tlinishe.s. The lieautv of their notes 

 a]»peared in his i-ars "really inspiring; their .song consisting of an ine.x- 

 ]iressibly delicate metallic utterance of the syllables fn-inrl' ah, tx-inrl' ii/i, 

 tiril' ah, liril' ah, accom|)anieil by a fine trill which renders it truly .se- 

 ductive." The last two notes an; said to Ik* uttered in a soft and subdued 

 undertone, prodiuung thereby, in ed'ect, an echo of the others. 



Til!' nest is nlwiiys jiliiced neiir tin' ground, generally niiscd from it by 

 II {\w\\ bed of dry leaves uv sticks; .sometimes among bushes, but never in 

 the fork of a bush or ti-eo, or if so, in very niru and exceptional ca.ses. 



